


How to Break Tommy Oliver's Brain in One Easy Step

by PockySquirrel



Category: Power Rangers Dino Thunder, Power Rangers Turbo
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-09
Updated: 2013-01-09
Packaged: 2017-11-24 06:18:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/631363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PockySquirrel/pseuds/PockySquirrel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Justin and Ethan are dating, and Tommy is pitching a fit about it. Billy, as usual, is the voice of reason.</p>
            </blockquote>





	How to Break Tommy Oliver's Brain in One Easy Step

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rivulet027](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/gifts).



"You!"

Billy arched an eyebrow at the non-greeting. He had picked up the phone to this, and found himself on the line with a rather flustered-sounding Tommy, the conversation not even beginning with a hello.

"What about me?"

"It's your fault, that's what."

Knowing he wasn't going to get anywhere until Tommy calmed down enough to make sense, Billy habitually tucked the phone between his ear and shoulder and kept typing. "I'd like to know what I'm being blamed for before I confirm or deny that."

"Justin and Ethan."

It took Billy a moment to remember the significance of those two names. Oh, right. Justin was the Blue Ranger who had taken over for Rocky at an absurdly young age, not long after Billy had left Earth. And Ethan was one of the slapdash team that fell into Tommy's lap a couple years ago after that unfortunate business with the DinoGems. Which Billy had warned Tommy about, but he wasn't about to bring that up now. Ethan was also Blue, if he remembered correctly. 

"What about them?"

"They met at your guest lecture last semester."

Ah, now it started to click more and his memory was able to combine faces with names. Both young men had approached him after he spoke at MIT a few months ago, and despite a bit of hedging on Ethan's part, their common history quickly came out of the proverbial bag. Actually, Justin and Ethan had seemed more surprised to learn about each other than Billy had been to learn about either of them. He had something akin to Ranger radar these days, especially where Blues were concerned. He'd mostly been inordinately pleased that the tradition of Blue Rangers as scientists and intellectuals had persisted, and more so - perhaps irrationally - that they'd both decided to attend his own alma mater. All vanity aside, they had both struck him as nice, intelligent kids, and he couldn't fathom why Tommy was so worked up over them.

"And?"

"And now they're dating, that's what!"

"That's what's got you so upset?" Billy could scarcely keep the amusement out of his voice. 

"Don't laugh, this is serious business. Ethan even brought Justin home with him for spring break, and what's worse is neither of them bothered to tell me. I had to find out by catching them making out in the middle of the CyberSpace!" 

Billy arched a skeptical eyebrow. Somehow he couldn't picture either of them 'making out' in any kind of public area, and he strongly suspected that Tommy was blowing any display of affection he had witnessed way out of proportion. "So to clarify, this has less to do with the fact of their relationship and more to do with their failure to inform you of it?"

"No, you're missing the point. They're kids, they don't need to be doing _that_ anyway, especially not with each other."

“If I’m not mistaken, Justin is only about six years younger than we are and Ethan graduated high school two years ago. By my calculations, that would put both of them well past the age of consent,” Billy rebutted, hoping to make Tommy see reason. 

“You’re still missing the point,” he protested. 

Billy sighed. Attempt failed. Very well then, time to bring out the big guns.

“Tommy. Believe it or not, Justin is not twelve anymore. And Ethan is not your student anymore. They are both grown, intelligent adults who happen to have a remarkable number of things in common with one another. They do not need to hear you having an apoplectic fit about their love life. And no offense, but…neither do I.”

Silence. Billy waited, patiently, hoping that Tommy would respond to the more heavy-handed dose of common sense.

“You’re right,” he relented.

“I know.”

“I feel _old_.”

“I know.”

“So you think I’m being too hard on them?”

“Frankly, yes,” Billy said, more gently. “I think your feelings are understandable, given that you’ve served alongside both of them and given the stage of life they were each in when you did. But you’re letting those feelings impede your ability to see them for the men that they’ve evolved into, rather than the children that they used to be.”

“What, are you a psychologist now?” Tommy joked. “The doctorate in astrophysics wasn’t good enough?”

“Very funny.”

“Am I at least allowed to give them The Talk?”

“If I tell you yes, will you stop blaming me for the fact that your ex-teammates are dating each other?”

“…I did do that, didn’t I. Sorry.”

“Apology accepted. I guess if you _must_ , you can give them The Talk. Just promise me you’ll let it go after that, all right?”

“Agreed. And Billy?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks, man.”

***

Ethan was sprawled out on the futon in the common room of his suite, happily killing virtual zombies on his new console and wondering when the heck his boyfriend would get off the phone. Whoever it was that called had driven Justin into Ethan’s bedroom with the cell glued to his ear, and he had been hiding in there for at least 20 minutes. 

Finally he emerged, looking vaguely frazzled. Ethan quickly hit the pause button and looked up, questioning.

“Who was that?”

Justin rolled his eyes. “Tommy.”

“Dr. O? You’re kidding me. What did he want?”

“Nothing much. Just to tell me that he’s happy I found someone, but since that someone happens to be one of his teammates I need to watch how I treat you or I’ll have to answer to him.”

Ethan tried to stifle a grin and failed miserably. “So…pretty much the exact same speech he gave me yesterday?”

“Verbatim, if I had to guess.”

“Figures.” Ethan righted himself and scooted over to make room for Justin on the futon. “But at least this is a step in the right direction, right?”

Justin quickly took the invitation and flopped down in the vacated spot, resting his head on Ethan’s shoulder. “Considering how he acted after he saw us kissing at Hayley’s? Anything’s an improvement.”

Ethan couldn’t help snickering at that. “Seriously. I thought he was going to have a seizure or something.”

“’Or something’ is right,” Justin agreed. “But at least the worst of it is over now, right?”

As Ethan was about to answer in the affirmative, his laptop chirped to inform him that he had a new email. He frowned and leaned over to retrieve it from the side table, doing his best to avoid disturbing Justin’s comfortable position. His frown deepened as he clicked open the email and read.

“What?” Justin inquired.

“It’s from Dr. Cranston,” he explained, and tilted the screen toward Justin so he could read along. 

The message read:

_Ethan –_

_Just wanted to let you know that I did what I could to prevent your former science teacher from blowing a proverbial gasket over your current relationship. Let me know if he continues to give you and Justin a hard time, and I’ll try (again) to talk some sense into him._

_As a word of advice, though, it’s not wise to underestimate the power of the ‘alumni’ gossip mill. I estimate that Kat Hillard and/or Tanya Sloan will be contacting you within the next 24 hours or so to interrogate you about your intentions toward Justin. I thought that you deserved fair warning._

_Good luck,_

_Billy_

As if on cue, Ethan’s phone rang, and he and Justin exchanged a look of horror.


End file.
